Insubmersible pipe line



July 20, 1948.

J. MULLER INSUBMERSIBLE PIPE LINE Filed Feb. 28, 1940 g/ in Kali Na INVENTOR. .mcuss MULLER m 9w km N k W Y Q N\ 8. Q mm Q Q m. QM V .8 TTORNE Y5.

Patented July 20, 1948 INSUBMERSIBLE: PIPE .LINE- Jacques Muller; ha Garenne Colombes; France"- Agiplicationi February 28, 1940., Serial: No.- 32-1 301 In. France March 1, 1939 Sectibn'3, Public Law 690', August 8 19496" Patent expires Marchl, 1959 3 Glaims.

Pipe lines which" are: employed; especially for refuelling at sea and at considerabledistances, which. may sometimes: amount to. many hundred's of metres, should for" the purpose. of'having a long life; continuously conform: With-the? surface of theiwater even in stormwwe'ather.

Inrerder tc conform to tlie surface :ofi thewater, flexible pipe lines which are at present manutactured'may"be"-usedl For refuelng at sea, it is desirable that the pipe lines float orr the surface of the water and for this purpose, such lines should be oflight weight. It is suitable to enclose the pipe lines in extremely light weight sheaths or coverings whereby the density of the whole is less than thatof ithe liquid on whiclzrzthe pipe lines float..

The: distances over which the floating pipelines are: used are in a. high. degree.- wari'able and? since commercially they can only berobtainedi ofi azlimit'ed length, they should be'capabl'e of being connected together easil and rapidly, mounted; on hollow-ferrules, connected. together by sleeves. in such a manner that fluidtightnessais insured: and the pipes cannot be. separated from the ferrules by breaking away due to the twistings produced by thefiincessant moving of the-water in alI dir ections Finally these pipe lines should be capable of resisting flattening, by the action of pressure, of the flexible material which constitutes the core.

The insubmersible pipe line, according to the invention satisfies these desiderata.

The floating thereof is ensured by surrounding the flexible pipe proper by cellular elements, preferably pneumatic, which may be provided with inflating valves, these elements being adapted to be notched at their periphery or are formed of tubular elements which, when they are suitably juxtaposed form furrows or passages through which there pass conducting or other wires which do not project, the whole arrangement being preferably enclosed by a protecting sheath.

Each flexible element of the pipe is mounted on a. rigid ferrule having an external cylindroconical surface, on which cylindrical portion are screw-threads for receiving a tightening cap.

For preventing detachment of the pipe from its ferrule, it is provided with sleeves located one after the other, one of them having a notched conical internal surface which bears against the outer surface of the flexible pipe, and the other being provided with an internal surface which is also conical but smooth and bears on the extensible and compressible rings surrounding the flexible pipe and bearing against the end of smaller diameter of theflrst: sleeves. screw threaded rods secured te the: cap pass. through. the. two sleeves whilst nuts: movable: on the determine, in: an adjustable: manner;. the: relative: pm sition of." the sleeves l and the: cap:vv

It' will be understood: thatwlien: varying: at; the time of assembly;.the position oifthr; Imtsion the rods; the coni'cah of: the twrx: sleeves": will press the end of the flexible tube energetically against the: ferrule; the notched portion? at? the first sleeve biting-z into. the: flexibiermatemii: of

the pipe and; extensible: rings are caused: to-

penetrate into" this material so as? to; oppose its detachment from the ferrule.

Finally; for preventing? crushing onflattenin'g of the-flexible thissisapronidedtwith: aminternal helicoidal and metal'. lining-101*: which the essemtial feature is that the profile off thread or strip employed is: triangular with. rounded corners. This shape: has the? advantage or. obtain?- ing at the: start an: internaL surface iormediby straight line elements andialsoir; permitsiofith'e employment of. a number of spirals superposed in quincunx;.. forming azbl'ochragainst-any deionmation and any detachment, between; whlnhii s held the internal sheath of the flexible: A block. oi: ans character; which: nevertheless preserves any desirable flexibility, offers considerable resistance and consttutes a metal contact surface for the flow of static electricity developed by the friction in the interior of the piping. For obtaining this last result with piping having a smooth and non-conducting internal surface it may with advantage be provided with a metal spiral of large pitch and preferably of flat or extremely elongated elliptical cross-section.

Insubmersible pipe lines having the above mentioned advantages are illustrated by way of example, but not in a limiting sense, in the accompanying drawing. wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a pipe line at the point of a joint;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the floating ments; I

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a flexible pipe.

I is the flexible pipe proper. It is surrounded by juxtaposed pneumatic chambers 2 provided with an inflating valve 3. These chambers are provided with external longitudinal notches 2' or with tubular passages 2" (Fig. 2). Into the end of the pipe I is fitted a. ferrule 4 of which the outer surface has a portion 6 on which is mounted a cap I with securing screws 8, the portion of the cap forming a flange 9 carrying screw-threaded bolts l0.

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In the cap there is located a first sleeve H of which the conical internal face l2, bearing against the pipe I, is notched at l3. Behind the sleeve H is located a second sleeve I4 having an internal cylindro-conical surface l5 of which the smallest diameter is greatenthan that; of the pipe I. In the sleeve [4 and around the pipe I are placed in juxtaposition extensible rings l6 which bear against the end l1, forming an abutment of the sleeve l I.

The screw-threaded bolts I pass through the annular parts I8, 19, respectively, of the sleeves ll, I4, whilst nuts 20, 2| engagin with the bolts ll], serve to adjust the respective positions of these parts.

The whole of the insubmersible pipe line is enclosed in a protecting sheath 22 which is'folded inwardly at 23 over the flange 9 and against which it is held by the cowl 24 and the nuts 25 on the bolts l0, whereby the fluidtightness of the interior of the pipe line is ensured.

The nuts 20, 2| which are mounted on the screw-threaded rods ll] ensure, by their movement on the rods the engagement of the teeth l3 of the sleeve II and the penetration of the rings l6 into the flexible material of the pipe I under the action of the conical parts 5, l2 and I so as to prevent any detachment of the pipe I from the ferrule 4.

The ferrules 4 of the two elements of the pipe line are connected together in any appropriate manner through'the medium of a fluidtight plastic joint 26 by means of a sleeve 21 with a looking device 28.

In the pipe I are located metal helices 29 of triangular section with rounded corners, between which there passes the internal peripheral sheath 30 of the pipe I.

In the right-hand portion of Fig. 1, the internal periphery of the pipe I is smooth and is provided with a metal helix 3| of large pitch and of flattened cross-section.

The helices 29 and 3| in addition to opposing any flattening of the pipe I, ensure the flow of static electricity.

7 I claim: I 1. A floating fuel'pipe line comprising a flexible pipe, a plurality of flexible pneumatic elements surrounding the flexible pipe, said pneumatic elements having recesses in the periphery thereof, and a metal element extending longitudinally of the pipe and positioned in said recesses.

2.- A floating fuel Pipe line comprising a flexible pipe, aplurality of separate annular flexible pneumatic elements surrounding the pipe lin and axially spaced along said pipe line, said pneumatic elements having recesses in the eriphery thereof, and a metal element extending longitudinally of the pipe and positioned in said recesses.

3. An insubmersible pipe line comprising a flexible pipe, extensible rings around the end of the flexible pipe, a sleeve having an internal conical wall and surrounding the rings, a cylindro-conical ferrule in the end of the flexible pipe, a second sleeve bearing against the extensible rings and having an internal conical and notched wall surrounding the end of the flexible pipe, the conicity of the. ferrule and the second sleeve being similar, lugs carried by said sleeves and ferrule,v and bolts passing through said lugs for drawing said sleeves and ferrule together to grip the Wall ofthe pipe between the ferrule and second sleeve and to compress the rings to further grip the pipe.

JACQUES REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1 592,017 McCauley Oct. 19, 1897 604,015 Bates Mar, 17; 1898 1,332,384 Dray Mar. 2,1920 1,462,830 Robinson July 24, 1923 1,476,258 Kroch Dec. 4, 1923 1,637,701 Levitt Aug. 2, 1927 1,712,803 Wood May 14, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 592,017 Germany Oct. 19,. 1897 

